Still serving
Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD)
Separating soon? File before you take off the uniform.
The short version
Still in and getting out soon? File 90 to 180 days before your last day, and the VA can have your decision ready right around the time you become a civilian.
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The 180-to-90-day window
BDD is for the window 180 to 90 days before you separate or retire. File inside that window and your claim goes through the BDD program, which is built to get you a decision around the time you leave service. - 2
What you need to qualify
You generally must be 180–90 days from separation, on full-time active duty (including full-time Guard/Reserve), and available for VA examsbefore you leave — including a short window after you file. If you can't make exams before separating, BDD may not fit. - 3
Inside 90 days? You can still file
If you're already within 90 days of separation, you can't use BDD — but you can still file a standard claim. Our builder computes your exact dates from your separation date so you file at the right time, not on generic “90 days out” guesswork.
Ready to put this into motion?
Our free builder estimates your rating, organizes your story the way the VA evaluates it, and pre-fills your own forms — no account needed.
Keep reading
Beyond the claim
The rating is step one. The civilian life it's meant to fund is the real fight.
Most veterans leave service without the one thing that lands the job, the offer, or the rating: preparation built for the civilian side. That's what Beyond the Claim is for.
Career Translator
Nearly 1 in 3 veterans is underemployed after service — usually a résumé that never translated the military career into corporate language. We do the translation.
Job Interview Prep
About 44% of veterans leave their first civilian job within a year — a prep-and-fit problem, not a skills one. Practice the exact interview before it counts.
C&P Exam Prep
The gap between a 30% and a 70% rating is more than $1,200 a month — your C&P exam decides which. Walk in ready.
This guide is general educational information, not legal advice, and timelines and forms can change — always confirm the current rules at VA.gov. ItsYourBenefits is not affiliated with the VA and is not an accredited representative.